No pattern to changing title fortunes

Hamilton’s title campaign was, of course, hampered by power unit penalties in Spa and a bad start at Monza, but in Singapore he had set-up issues and struggled to match Rosberg’s pace all weekend.

The German has now won three races in a row, and is eight points ahead in the title fight.

“I have no idea,” said Hamilton when asked when he thought the momentum would go back in his favour. “We don’t know if it will, or if when it does, when it will be. But we still have six races, so I’ve just got to keep pushing and hope for the best.

“I don’t really have an answer for it you know, because every year is different. It’s just the way it goes. Some weekends he does great, some weekends I do great.

“Nico just did an exceptional job this weekend and we didn’t. What it’s going to take? Just some good weekends, which we’ve had in the past.

"It’s a bunch of s**t, a combination of things all together, which ultimately make a perfect weekend.”

Hamilton admitted that he knew from the first lap in Singapore that he had little chance of beating Rosberg.

“Once you get into Turn 1 in third, the likelihood of winning when you’re in third... The chances of that are very, very low. I was thinking of trying to improve my position.

"Immediately I was having this brake problem, and soon after the safety car I could see them pulling away, there was nothing I could do about it.”

Asked if he’d had a chance to pass Daniel Ricciardo he said: “There was no chance because I would have taken it. Trust me, I would have taken it.”